Arrangement for sorting perforated cards used for statistics, bookkeeping, and the like



1 '1927. T 6 Aug I G. TAUSCHEK ARRANGEMENT 'FOR SORTING PERFQRATED CARDS USED FOR. 1 v

STATISTICS, BOOKKEEPING, AND THE LIKE Filed July 28, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 20 G a5 56 o Y 0 I/ 1 55 I 5 W 55 37 //I V O 11 T 34 '-""K il car-d v I U7 .Zirenfor; Gus av T4 USCHEK Patented fA-ug. I6, '1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV TAUSCHEK, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA.

ARRANGEMENT FOR SORTING PERFORATED CARDS USED FOR STATISTICS, BOOK- .KEEPING, AND THE LIKE.

Application filed July 28, 1925, Serial No. 46,684, and in Austria April 10, 1924.

This invention relates to improvements in arrangements for sorting perforated cards used for statistics book-keeping and the like. I

One mode of carrying out the present invention is illustrated by way of example on the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. l is a side view of the essential parts of the arrangement. A

Fig. 2 is a detail in side View and on an enlarged scale,

Fig. 3 a front View of the detail shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an elevation illustrating the pawland-ratchet mechanism and the electric devicescontrolling its operation; and

Fig. 5 is a detail View of a chute over which the perforated cards travel and of feelers co-operating with said chute.

A plate 1, consisting of a horizontal portion for supporting the perforated cards to be sorted and of an inclined chute, is arranged between parallel walls (not illustrated) carrying a number of shaft-bearings. An inclined support 2, on which the pile of cards is disposed, is slowly screwed forward by a screw-threaded shaft 3, which isoperated by bevel-wheels 4 and 5, so that the perforated cards are successively fed over the horizontal portion of the plate 1 onto the chute and slide down the latter. The cards are then grasped by rollers 6 and rapidly fed down the chute and through a channel 7 into a charger 8. The apparatus for feeding the cards to the chute is immaterial to the present invention; in fact, the operator may insert them by hand, one by one; but it is essential that they be spaced longitudinally from each other, and that the feeding be synchronized with the reciprocations of the feelers 9 and 10, described below.

The essential mode of operation of the arrangement, which will be described at a later stage, consists in that a feeler 9, which is adapted for electrical contact with the chute and underneath of which the edge of the card passes, is lifted up, so that its circuit is interrupted, a relay magnet 34 being arranged in the said circuit. VVhen.the relay armature is withdrawn from its magnet 34 as by a spring at, it closes a gap (at b) in another circuit in which a feeler 10 and a feed magnet 11 are arranged. The

feeler 10 is movable transversely of the card feeler l0 and the chute 1.

and is to be adjusted to registry with a line of perforations in that column of the perforated card according to which the sorting is to take place. The moving card, which by breaking the contact at the feeler 9 has closed the circuit which includes the feeler 10 and the magnet 11, generally interrupts But as each hole of the card passes in registry with the feeler 10 the latter comes into contact with the chute, whereby the armature of the magnet 11 is each time at tracted and by means of a lever mechanism and a ratchetwvheel-pawl swings the charger or distributor 8, so that its mouth is brought above the next compartment of a group of sorting compartments 12. Assuming that the perforated card is provided with four holes in the column according to which is to be sorted, the feeler 10 is four times electrically connected with the chute and four current-impulses are imparted to the magnet 11, and thus the armature of this magnet will feed the distributor 8 four times or four steps, so thatitis brought above the fourth compartment and therefore deposits the card in the same.

In order to provide for a positive contact between the feeler 10 and chute l, the card ought not to pass too fast under the feeler, therefore the speed by which it is fed through the rollers 6 ought to be limited and consequently also the efficiency of the machine. In order to increase the etliciency of the latter, the feelers 9 and 10 at the time they move in the same direction'tdown) as the passing card are taken along at a smaller speed, so that they lag behind the card. Therefore the speed of the card has to be increased with the speed of the feelers, without however increasing the ratio between the speed of the card and that of'the feelers. Therefore the holes pass below the feelers at a comparatively slowspeed, while during the upward travel the feelers move quickly over the chute. After the passage of the card, the feelers are very quickly returned into the initial position, where they are ready for receiving the next card. The feelers 9 and 10 are spaced longitudinally from each other by a short distance to allow sufficient time for the lever 33 to move switch 6 into closed position before the first perforation is encountered by feeler 10. The slower downward and faster upward movement is imparted to the feelers 9 and 10 by arranging them on a rackslide 13, which is operated by a toothed wheel 14. The latter is operated by a toothed segment 15, oscillating about a shaft 16 and furnished with a slot, which is engaged by the pin of a crank 18.

But this arrangement alone does not render possible the highest speed, since the distributor must not be shifted by the next card, as long as the preceding card has not dropped through the same into the proper compartment 12. Therefore some time must elapse between the shifting of the distributor to register with one of the compartments 12, and the return of the charger to its initial position, and during this time a fresh card should not be. allowed to pass onto the chute. However in order to further'increase the efficiency of'the machine, the setting section of the feed-mechanism is separated from the distributor the latter remaining stationary While the setting section of the feed mechanism is being operated, and then, by a rapid positive action, the charger is brought to a position corresponding to that of the setting section.

The arrangement for attaining this object consists of a' ratchet wheel 19, on which operates a pawl 20, the latter being pulled down the distance of one tooth whenever the leverarmature 0 moves away from the magnet 11. When the armature is attracted, the pawl feeds the ratchet wheel the distance of one tooth, whereafter said wheel is'held by a.

- of the ratchet wheel 19 and at the outer end is furnished with an arched 'member 23. The latter is concentric to the wheel 19 and rests against a ram 24 owing to the action of a spring. The'ram and thus also the slide 22 are quickly pushed inward during every revolution by a cam 25, arranged on a shaft 26. On feeding the disc 19, the slide 22 is rotated, but its arched member 23 remainscont-inuously in contact with the end of the ram. The slide 22 is furnished with a lateral pin 27. Independent of the wheel 19 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 29 a member 28, which is provided with a wedge-shaped recess, directed towards the said shaft and formed with a rest for the pin 27. If the wheel 19 and with it the slide 22 are turned about the axis of said wheel by the action of theholes in the card and in accordance with the number of holes,

and if now the slide is suddenly pushed inward by the ram 24, operated by the cam 25, the pin 27 of the slide22 contacts with the side-wall of the wedge-shaped recess at a place, which corresponds to the position of' the member 28 and turns the latter about its axis to an extent enabling the pin 27 to reach the narrow or inner end of the said recess. Thereby the member 28, provided with the wedge-shaped recess takes up a position corresponding to the position of the slide. Immediately after the movement of the slide a cam 32 forces the wedge-shaped end of a rod 31 into the toothed port-ion 30 of a curved member, which is connected with the member 28 and disposed at the side of the distributor 8. The dlstributor, which is swung into a position corresponding to the position of the ratchet wheel 19 with a quick motion, solely by the operation of the cam 25, is immediately thereafter locked by the action of the cam 32, until the card has dropped into the corresponding compartment 12, while in the meantime the ratchet wheel 19 can be fed by the next card. In order to return, after the passage of each card, the ratchet wheel 19 into the initial position, the same is subjected to the action of a returning spring or the like. When the upper edge of the downwardly moving card clears the feeler 9, electric contact is established again between the latter and the chute and the magnet 34 is energized, which interrupts the circuit of the magnet 11 and simultaneously lifts the pawl 21 as by means of a pin 6 on the lever 33 (Fig. 4), the pawl 20 being lifted off at the same time by a pin a, so that the ratchet wheel 19 jumps back into the initial position by the action of the returning force.

I claim 1. An apparatus for sorting perforated cards, comprising a support along which the cards are adapted to travel, a feeler adapted to enter the perforations of the card, a charger for receiving the cards from. the delivery end of said support, said charger having an outlet movable to different positions for distributing the cards, a ratchet-wheel having a lost-motion operative connection with the charger, whereby said wheel may move without affecting the charger, electric means for feeding said ratchet-wheel, a circuit controlled by said feeler and operatively associated with said electric means to feed the ratchet-wheel, and a device for moving the charger to a position corresponding to the one to which the ratchet-wheel has been set by the said feeding means.

2. An'apparatus for sorting perforated cards, comprising a support along which the cards are adapted to travel, a feeler Hit) adapted to enter the perforations of a card, a a pivoted charger for receiving the cards meas es means for feeding said ratchet-wheel, and a circuit controlled by said'feeler and operatively associated with said electric means.

3. An apparatus for sorting perforated cards, comprising a support along which the cards are adapted to travel, a feeler adapted to enter perforations of the card, mechanism for moving the feeler lengthwise of the support, in the same direction that the card is traveling, at'a relatively low speed, and for returning said feeler to its initial position, lengthwise of the support, at an increased speed, a distributing charger for receiving the cards from the delivery end of the said support, said charger having an outlet movable to different positions to distribute the cards, electric meansfor moving the chargeroutletto different positions,zand a circuit controlled by said feeler and operatively associated with said electric means.

4. An apparatus cards, according to claim 3, in which the feeler is mounted on a slidemovable length- =wise of the card support and provided with rack teeth, a pinion meshing with said rack teeth,- a rocking toothed segment for operat-v ing said pinion first in one direction and then in the other, and crank mechanism for rocking said segment, said mechanism acting on the segment at a point nearer the axis of the segment during the return movement of the slide than during the forward movement thereof. 1

5. An apparatus for sorting perforated cards, comprising a support, means for moving a card along said support, a feeler adapted to enter perforations in the card to contact with the support, means for moving said feeler along said support at a lower speed than that of the card, an electric circuit adapted to be closedby the contact of the feeler with the support, and means 0pe'rated by said circuit to selectively guide the card into one of a plurality of receptacles, in accordance with the number of perforations engaged by the feeler.

6. An apparatus for sorting perforated cards, comprising a support, means for moving a card along'said support, two feelers normally contacting with said support, one of said feelers, being adapted to enter perforations in the card, means for moving said feelers along said support at a lower speed than that of the card, electriccircuits adapted tobe closed by contact of the feelers with .for sorting perforated the support, and means controlled by said circuits for selectively guiding the card into one of a plurality of receptacles in accordancewith the'number of perforations engaged by the feeler.

7. An apparatus for sorting perforated cards, comprising a support, means for moving a card along said support, means for analyzing the card by'electric circuits completed through perforations in the card while moving over said support, a distributor adapted to receive the card from said support and deliver it to one of a plurality of receptacles, a movable member, means controlled by said analyzing means for selectively moving said member into one of a plurality of positions by a step-by-step movement controlled by said circuits, and means for subsequently moving said distributor into a position corresponding to the position of the movable member to deliver the card to the selected receptacle. I

8. In apparatus for sorting cards, means for analyzing a card by electric circuits completed through perforations in the card, a distributor adapted to receive the card from said analyzing means, a movable member, means controlled bysaid analyzing means for selectively movin said movable member into one of a plurality of positions by a step-by-step movement controlled by said circuits, and means for subsequently moving said distributor into aposition corresponding to the position of the movable member to deliver the card according to the analysis thereof.

9. An apparatus for sorting perforated cards, comprising a support adapted to receive cards in sliding relation, a feeler positioned to enter perforations in the card and establish electrical contact therethrough as the card moves along the support, a second feeler positioned to engage an imperforate portion of cuit through the first feeler, a distributor for receiving the card from the support, said distributor having an outlet movable to different positions, feeding mechanism for shifting the distributor outlet to said difierent positions, electrical means for operating saidfeeding mechanism, a circuit controlled by the first mentioned feeler, electrical means controlled by said last mentioned circuit, means for connecting the distributor to the feeding mechanism at predetermined intervals, and a relay controlled by the second feeler for interrupting the circuit through the first feeler.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nameto this specification.

GUSTAV 'TAUSCHEK.

the card and controlling the cir- 

